I remember playing through the Red War, then the Forsaken Campaign. There is nothing in between for me, except some vague Martian memories and some dusty Vex on Venus. It is really a testament to the quality of the game as a whole that I somehow find myself coming back to this game so consistently. Yet, it remains something that I cannot recommend to friends, family, or random acquaintances. The abject horror of the new player experience means that I can’t share this game with people who don’t already know what they’re getting into.

Why? Well, it’s simply because the game is old now. The question then arises, why Destiny 2 and not WoW? World of Warcraft has been around significantly longer, after all, and while I’m sure there are gripes about the way Blizzard has handled their geriatric software, Destiny seems to get the headlines. The only real difference is Bungie’s decision to vault away the game’s old content and phase out old features in favor of new ones.

On the surface, I know I am not alone in saying it looks like a horrible move. Locking away old content and changing the way progression or other major features work seems like the developers at Bungie are either trying to hurt or trick their customers. Though, if the game ends up better at the end of the road, are these changes really so bad? I suppose that is the question Bungie has to answer in the coming months.

Strictly from a narrative perspective, there is next to no hope for a New Light. The removal of all content before the Forsaken Expansion and the constant content thrown into the grinder that is the games-as-service model makes it nearly impossible to understand what’s going on. I have followed the game for a significant period, watched and read hours of lore on the game, and even I don’t really understand what’s going on.

This is to say nothing of the new mechanics and modes they add to the game. It somehow is both too much and not enough. While the actual gameplay is my favorite part of Destiny 2, parts of the game are just so obtuse and obscure that it requires a Sherpa just to understand that there are different vendors for different seasons, a vault where you can store items, different currencies, outdated currencies and items, and I could go on until Final Shape drops in June.

I do wonder what it must feel like for a new player to hop on Destiny 2 at a time like this. What it must feel like to join a game as expansive and convoluted as this in medias res. I know from my experience trying to introduce a new player to the game that it’s not pleasant for the average person, but maybe that is related to the mechanical side of things more than the narrative. To Bungie’s credit, there is now a series of quests that introduce the player to past events of the game. However, finding these quests and understanding their broader context is just a losing battle. It may be too little, too late.

I’ve started playing again in anticipation of the last chapter of the Light/Dark Saga, The Final Shape. I have tried wrangling some of my old compatriots from the early days, but they haven’t touched the game for years now. For many people, I think my pals included, this expansion will likely be the last they play of Destiny 2. Looking back at my history with the game, I do find myself wondering if I may be among them, never to look back. Even with all its flaws and Bungie’s questionable decision-making, I get the feeling I’ll be around until the end.